Who You Are
by AngelicTiff
Summary: Sequel to PP; James Gibbs knew that day would come. The day when everything he worked so hard for went up in smokes. The time has come to face his past, but is he truly ready? AU-Epilogue will similarities.
1. Chapter 1

**The Harry Potter x NCIS sequel to Positively Potter**  
><strong>Who You Are<strong>  
><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or Harry Potter; BETAED by Rugglet so props to her from me!<strong>  
><strong>Major time skip: to when Harry is 10 years old and gets his Hogwarts letter. <strong>  
><strong>Warning: More down to earth and serious than the prequel.<strong>

**Chapter One "Mistakes in the light"**  
><em>"Those little imperfections make you beautiful, valuable; they show your personality inside your heart, reflecting who you are." – Natasha Bedingfield<em>

The little house on Baldwin Street was never quiet since a little raven-haired baby became a permanent resident 10 years ago. Residential owners would often hear loud laughter as they exchanged pleasantries outside or exasperated yells while they mowed their lawns. The most common sights would be a young boy growing as he constantly could be found outside, doing anything and everything.

One of the most peculiar sights to behold was a brown speckled Owl soaring across the street until it landed right at the kitchen window. Gray clouds loomed over the city in a manner of dread, as if waiting for the opportune moment.

James Jethro Gibbs wasn't a very normal boy by any standards. Unusually mature for his age of 10 years old, he had the most astounding emerald green eyes and the most windswept raven hair anyone had ever seen! His light complexion accentuated his lithe body and small build.

"Jamie! Come get your breakfast before DiNozzo eats it all," His Father grunted as he yelled for his Son.

James mumbled something and burrowed further under the covers. He was about to drift back to sleep when his words registered in his mind.

Oh hell no, Tony was NOT going to steal his food again!

Uncaring about the dark maroon pajamas with the Lion embellished on his hip and shoulder, the 10-year-old boy raced downstairs with hair ruffled. He skidded to a halt at the end of the staircase and came face to face with a snickering Anthony DiNozzo, a glass of soda in his hand as he helped the boy up after James had fallen over.

"You better not have eaten my food again, Tony," James threatened as he ran around the man and to the kitchen, relieved his pancakes there alongside his grinning Father, Jethro Gibbs.

"I didn't know Tony was going to be here again, Dad," James huffed as he sat down and began to fork one of the pancakes into his mouth, chewing happily now that he was wide awake.

Gibbs opened his mouth, perhaps to tell him he didn't either, but a sharp thud was heard at their kitchen window above the sink. James jumped, startled, as Gibbs withdrew his gun and warily looked around. When nothing happened, he was about to put it away when both Gibbs spotted the Owl pecking on the glass.

"What's an Owl doing at the window?" Tony asked stupidly as he walked in at the sound of the commotion. Gibbs stood up to shoo it away when his Son raced to the window and threw it open.

"James, what the hell are you doing?" Jethro barked at his Son only to stare, utterly baffled, as the Owl hopped inside and held out its foot. James surprised him even more by untying the letter from the talon and watched as the bird took its departure.

Jethro watched as his Son untied the letter hastily and grew steadily nervous as the little boy read the letter.

"What's the matter, bud?" Jethro asked as he saw James frown. When emerald green eyes looked up anxiously, Jethro could tell his Son was debating something before silently handing over the letter.

_Dear Mr. James Gibbs,_

_Congratulations on being a Wizard! You have been accepted into the Salem Institute of Magic in Salem, Massachusetts due to your location. Please respond by Owl no later than a week after receiving this invitation. If you wish to attend another School, please note so in the response and a Representative will come to explain the other Schools if you wish. Term will begin on September 1st. _

_Enclosed in the letter are your supplies:_

_There are no uniforms, with the exception of the School jacket easily purchased in Crossings Market off Brighton Main street. Please note that a Student's clothes should carry nametags._

_COURSE BOOKS; all Students need to have a copy of the following: _

_ The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_  
><em>The Rise and Fall of Wizards by Jayne Wright<em>  
><em>Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling<em>  
><em>A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch<em>  
><em>An Introduction to Plants by Nicholii Spears<em>  
><em>Magical Drafts and Potions by Argus Wrhyle<em>  
><em>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander<em>  
><em>The History of Defense by Everson Summers<em>

_OTHER EQUIPMENT; Students must have these supplies at the start of term:_

_A Wand_  
><em>A cauldron (preferably peter, standard size 2)<em>  
><em>A set glass or crystal phials<em>  
><em>A telescope<em>  
><em>A set of brass scale<em>  
><em>Parchment and quills (or muggle pens and paper) <em>  
><em>A pet approved by the School Headmistress is allowed<em>

_Students return home by December 10th as the end of term one and start term two by January 10th. _

_Rodger Romain_  
><em>Deputy Headmaster<em>

Please note that a representative from the School will visit your home should you accept or decline. They will be there within the day that this is sent.

"A . . . A what?" Jethro said slowly.

"I . . ." James trailed off, not sure what to say to the man who had raised him since he was a baby - in a manner of speaking.

James wasn't ordinary even by Wizards standards. 10 years ago he'd been 18 years old and had just defeated Voldemort, known everywhere as Harry James Potter, the Chosen One and Boy-Who-Lived. James had done his best over the years to forget his name, forget who he had once been.

He should have known it was too good to last.

"Daddy, I didn't . . . I'm . . ." James whispered as he trailed off again, a true show of how upset he was that he'd called Jethro by the childish title he'd stopped when he turned six, only using the title when he was distraught. Jethro violently shoved all thoughts from his mind as he did what he did best with James; he walked over to him and knelt down.

"Hey now, none of that. No tears baby boy," Jethro whispered calmly, still trying to wrap his mind around this foreign letter. He would think it was a joke, someone after his Son, but James's reaction was enough to show that it wasn't.

James searched his Father's eyes for a moment with his own teary eyed ones, looking for something like hatred and dislike, the emotions he'd seen with the Dursleys. He didn't find anything of the sort, only comfort. The eyes remained the same as they had over the years, just a hint of surprise. James fumbled with what to say but instead buried his face against his Dad's shoulder, gripping the shirt as Gibbs lifted him up. He was thankful his Dad worked out quite often and that he was still quite small, it allowed for moments like this.

"What's wrong Boss?" Tony asked, confused.

In reply, Jethro handed his subordinate the letter and watched as Tony read on, his eyes growing wide as he did so. It was a lot to take in and Jethro didn't know why he was so calm about this. The soft shivering of his Adopted Son answered that.

The one thing Jethro had accepted above many things when raising James was that the boy was an enigma. He was an inexplicable little boy who'd performed stunts like no other as he grew up.

"Hey Jamie, look at me kiddo," Jethro said as he sat down with the boy on his lap. Tony remained silent for once as James slowly lifted his head. Jethro was disheartened to see the tears coming out of James's brilliant eyes. They hardly had ever seen the boy cry, even when he was a baby. For these tears to be forming all of a sudden meant, that James was scared. Scared of how Jethro would react? His Son was a Wizard, a voice told him, and of course, he'd be terrified of that.

"Baby boy, why the tears?" Jethro asked softly, cupping the boy's cheek firmly.

"You're . . . Going to hate me," James hiccuped, sounding so young and vulnerable that Jethro was reminded of when the boy had been in his toddler years, prone to thinking the worst for some reason. He'd be uncharacteristically mature for a boy his age, but his toddler years he'd been very low in his confidence. Jethro offered the boy a smile, bestowing James's head with a fatherly kiss.

"Now why would you think I'd hate you? You're a Wizard, I think that just shows how amazing you are," Jethro said, laughing at James's surprised look. Of course, his Son was worried about his reaction more than being a Wizard. It figured.

"You're not mad that I'm a Wizard." James stated cautiously, piercing eyes looking doubtfully at his Father before he seemed to realize that Jethro was serious.

Tony finally spoke up,

"Did you already know you were one?" The question was very valid, Jethro realized. James hadn't seemed shocked at being a Wizard, more along the lines of anxious only for his Father's reaction.

"Yes Sir," James said after a moment or two. The room was quiet and upon questioning how he knew, James revealed that he'd always known he was a Wizard. Jethro watched as James took a deep breath and began the words that had change everything he worked so hard to keep normal. Those 10 years of freedom of love that he'd never had before would be changed, he realized.

"I . . . Remember everything, since before you found me too . . . I'm . . . Not Harry Potter's Son," James struggled before admitting this. They deserved to know the truth. They deserved to know who he once was, and hopefully -just hopefully- things would be alright.

The news had both men taken aback. What?

"What do you mean, James?" Jethro asked, noticing the flinch when he used his Son's full name instead of the many pet names.

"I'm not really 10 years old," James whispered. "I'm supposed to be in my twenties."

**Dun dun dunnnn! So now that the truth comes out about him being a wizard, how will Harry's father react to the ultimate truth? It'll only get interesting from here! (Though I could argue it's always been interesting!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two "You're how old?"  
><strong>

**Warning: Negative reactions and profanity**

**Again, credits to my amazing beta Rugglet. **

"You're . . . What?" Jethro couldn't even speak properly, too flabbergasted to do so. Why the hell was James telling him this? Was this a joke? He could handle a Wizard seeing as that wasn't the kid's fault, but…

"There was an incident 10 years ago, when I was 18. I was working and someone attacked me with this orb. I woke up an infant and in the Hospital," James said. "I tried speaking, using Magic, everything. Nothing worked and . . . I had to rely on you for everything. Essentially my mind regressed with my body and there were times where my memories weren't as strong as before until I was growing up again. By the time I could talk . . . I didn't want to be who I was before. I wanted to be James Gibbs . . ."

When Jethro said nothing, James slid off his lap and looked at Tony for a moment before gulping and continuing, "Draco knew who I was and because he owed me a debt, he helped you adopt me. I . . . Ducky knew about Magic and was originally in Britain where I'm from, so he had actually recognized me and helped me over the years control my Accidental Magic though not all of it got controlled in the end . .. Like when I turned Mrs. Gray's skin pink." When Jethro still had yet to say something to his son, the boy began to bite his lip and look away from him, "I . . . I liked being taken care of. No one had ever done that for me before and even though being a baby had its downsides, I didn't want to leave.

I'm sorry for tricking you. My real name is Harry James Potter," Jame . . . Harry said and eventually he took Jethro's silence for anger. Jethro watched as his So . . . No, as Harry looked at Tony (who was equally silent and emotionless) before quivering and looking down at the ground.

Jethro tried wrapping his mind around all this. His Son was actually nearly 30! He remembered everything since the day Jethro had found him at the crime scene. He'd been deceived for 10 years, thinking he was raising an abandoned little boy when in actuality he'd been raising a . . .

Looking at James, he realized he needed to get away from the boy to think properly. God, this was killing him. The little boy had done things over the year and Jethro had always forgiven him. James had lied to him since the day they met. It was . . . Too much to take in.

Abruptly, Jethro stood up and walked over to James. The boy looked up, hope shining in his eyes that he'd be forgiven like he was forgiven for so many things before.

Jethro tried, he really tried, to keep the anger out of his eyes and voice, but James picked up on it quickly.

"I need to . . . think about this. Stay here with Anthony." It was easily to tell he was angry, what with the use of his Coworker's full name. Jethro just needed to get away. He found himself grabbing his keys and leaving the house moments later. He needed to see Ducky.

James Gibbs - or rather Harry Potter - stood there in a numb silence.

"You . . . Lied to all of us," Tony said quietly, "You let me think you were just a kid, didn't know any better since you were a baby. God, I said things to you thinking you didn't understand me."

Harry glanced at Tony and couldn't stop the hurt welling up in him at Tony's pissed look. Harry knew why he was so upset about this. When Harry was a baby, just after being Adopted, Tony had been babysitting him and had talked to the baby to ease his nerves about a Case, having thought the baby couldn't understand anything. He'd explained his trust issues, his personality, his home life… The works. To hear the baby did remember it all and had lied to him all his life had been a blow.

"I didn't mean to . . ."

"SHUT UP!" Tony shouted, standing up and shoving Harry, "You don't know how much risk we went through for you. Gibbs almost quit for you! You were supposed to be just a little boy we protected and . . . All this damn time you weren't even a kid! You're a freaking _freak_!"

Harry tried to tell himself that Tony was just being Tony, quick to anger and when he did said things he didn't mean. However, the last work had Harry tipped over the edge. The times the Dursleys had said that word to him. Those nights he'd lay in his cupboard wishing he were better, normal for his Aunt and Uncle to love him. Tears fell from his suddenly jaded green eyes and Harry knew without a doubt that his heart broke. Someone he'd looked up to finally realized he was nothing but a freak of nature. His Adopted Father didn't want anything to do with him.

"I'm sorry," Harry said softly; his voice was so broken that for a moment, Tony cringed. He'd only heard the boy sound like that when he'd been hurt by a friend at his School. Then the anger returned and he walked away from the little boy. He needed to clear his head before he actually hurt the kid . . . Adult, whatever he was.

Harry wiped at his tears, realizing sadly this was the first time he'd cried without anyone to comfort him, at least in this life. He'd messed up. He should have just let Draco take him back to the Wizarding World. Instead, he was hurt worse than anything he'd encountered.

Turning on his bare feet, Harry slowly walked upstairs and stripped of his pajamas, pulling on a pair of dark jeans and a red shirt. After tying his shoes, he allowed the tears to fall again, packing a rucksack (or backpack, as he called it in America). He continued to taste the salty tears as he put in treasured items and hitched it on his back.

He left his only true home with nothing but guilt bubbling up in his stomach . . .

Jethro arrived at the Mallord Residence in record time. He knocked loudly on the front door and stood impatiently, almost knocking again when Ducky answered the door with his Grandfatherly smile.

"Ah Jethro, what a surprise! Is Jam . . . ?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jethro asked; the anger in his voice so evident that he knew without a doubt that Ducky realized the meaning behind the loaded question.

Suddenly Ducky was silent and serious, not a story coming from his mouth. Instead, he walked back into his home and Jethro followed noiselessly.

"James was three years old when I told him that I knew his former name," Ducky said after a moment or two. "He was horrified, the dear boy, and had gone pale with fear that I would hurt him. In the World of Magic, Harry Potter is famous. More famous than anything you could comprehend, Jethro." When Jethro didn't interrupt, Ducky sighed, knowing how dire the situation was that he explained in a way that wouldn't hurt Harry. "In the Magical World, everyone pressured the boy even at 18. When he was attacked, he'd been sent to us. I was curious why he didn't appear on any records when we took the Blood Test, and then I realized that he was Magical from the blood. I'd sent it to an old friend who'd confirmed the blood as that of Harry Potter. Now, I was as distressed as I could be that the baby wasn't truly a baby. As the few years passed, however, I realized one thing that quieted me."

"What?" Jethro asked impatiently when Ducky didn't answer for a few minutes.

"James may have been years older than his body, but his emotions were all very much a child. After research in Britain, I realized that Harry Potter was neglected beyond repair in his real childhood. That boy has been through more horrors in his life that I knew I didn't want to abandon the lad." Ducky said firmly, "I swear Jethro, if you have done so I will be seeing you next on my Autopsy Table."

The NCIS Agent didn't say anything, dark eyes narrowed in thought. What Ducky said registered in his mind as did Harry's. Memories of the boy growing up had risen as Ducky talked, reminding Jethro slowly that the elderly man was correct. Harry was James and had the emotions any boy would, though he was mature for his age and that was because he was years older than his body.

Jethro sighed and nodded, "Despite this, he deceived me and that's going to be hard to take. Can he stay here, Duck? I need to think about everything right now."

Ducky looked at the torn man with a sad look before nodding and the two friends bid goodbye. Jethro sighed heavily and drove back towards his house. When got there he felt a feeling of dread in his chest as he entered the kitchen and didn't see anyone.

"DiNozzo!" Jethro called and heard a "In here!" coming from upstairs. Following the voice, he was surprised to see Tony in the guest room the man preferred to stay in sometimes. Where was Ja . . . Harry?

"Where's the kid?" Jethro asked, realizing a split second later that he hadn't called James 'the kid' since he was first found.

"Should still be in the kitchen," Tony said bitterly.

Jethro quirked an eyebrow; he'd just come from the kitchen and the boy wasn't in there.

"He wasn't there," Jethro murmured and moved to the boy's bedroom. Opening the door, he stopped and felt his heart nearly drop.

The room was empty. Worse, James's pajamas were on the floor and the room was hastily left. James was a naturally tidy child and his room was constantly reflected of that. Crap. Where was Ja . . . Harry?

"DiNozzo! I thought I told you to stay with him," Jethro growled and Tony entered the room, stopping in surprise at the state of the room. James was a very neat child and had always kept the room as neat as he could.

"Shit, I left him in the kitchens earlier," Tony said barely audible and the two quickly grabbed up their guns and left the house in search of the wayward kid, cursing their luck as the storm began to start and rain drizzled down in a forewarning mood.

**I know the reactions were quite horrible but this could happen in real life. The reactions I mean. I doubt we all have sons who aren't their real age. Tony is upset, so he's going to be saying things he didn't mean. Hopefully Gibbs finds James soon! Also, the prequel is still incomplete until James is 10 years old in that story. That's mainly just glimpses of his childhood anyways so that's why the sequel is posted since many want action right now. Thank you guys a lot for liking this story!  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three "A Little rain a little sad"  
>Warning: Angst and self-doubt (perhaps self-hate too?)<br>**

Harry was miserable beyond doubt. Clad in the dark jeans he chose to run away in, he shivered as he realized he'd forgotten his jacket. The rain had already started and he was somewhere near the park his Da . . . Gibbs had taken him when he was a baby. His eyes itched from the crying he'd been doing and Harry didn't bother wiping them away anymore.

Why had he ever thought of letting the NCIS Agents in? Why hadn't he just gone back with Draco or something? He'd messed up by easing himself into the life of a kid and now his emotions were too tied to this body. He sniffed and cursed as the rain increased.

The rain had soaked his bag already and Harry knew he needed shelter. There was nothing but the forest with the trees and even then, they were thin. Having no choice, - besides, who would care? - He walked into the eerie trees and found that the rain still slapped against him as he did so and he fell once, ramming right into a stone that cut him up but he cared no longer.

As he gingerly sat down on the ground and threw his bag against the trunk, he allowed his misery to overwhelm him. He hated himself more than he ever had before. He'd betrayed their trust and had lied to them for 10 years. Was he no better than the crooks they Jailed? Was he just a criminal for deceiving Cops? Where was Ginny and the others, he wondered. Hadn't Draco told them about him?

_That's because no one cares about you, Potter. You're nothing to them. They're mad because they never wanted to be around such vermin. _A voice, one that'd been his thoughts for years before Hogwarts, spoke up. Harry shivered as cold seeped in and wondered how right the voice was. Was he no better than a piece of lint? Years of the Dursleys had created a nearly nonexistent ego and with Gibbs, he had slowly built one up. Today had crushed that beyond repair.

He sneezed and whimpered, feeling very much like the young boy his body had been de-aged to. Too many years as a child had ruined that wall he'd built and he could not longer contain his emotions. Damnit. Harry wished he were in the Gryffindor Common Room with Ron and Hermione, laughing about a piece of homework that Ron was fibbing with, resulting in a bickering between his best friends. Did they even care where he was?

He tried to think that they did. He could still faintly remember the feel of Ginny's lips on his, the thought he had when he was about to die at Voldemort's hand. The night he'd killed Voldemort could never be forgotten either. That victory that rang in the halls, everyone trying to get a part of him so that they could have touched the victorious Chosen One. Yet why hadn't anyone found him yet?

"There you are," A soft voice came, so soft Harry almost thought he was imagining it. He looked up fearfully and that fear only increased when he saw Jethro Gibbs standing a little ways away from him. He watched with trepidation as the former Sniper walked towards him. Did D . . . Gibbs have his gun on him . . . ? Was he going to shoot Harry for such a crime he performed? Harry couldn't stop the large flinch that overtook him as Gibbs raised his hand. He was going to punch him. He deserved it. He'd deceived the man after all and he deserved more tha . . .

A hand on his head stopped his thoughts abruptly and Harry gazed at Gibbs slowly. Gibbs lowered himself until he was kneeling before him and Harry wondered if he was going to be strangled perhaps.

"Got a heavy bruise there, little man," Gibbs said.

Harry's eyes widened and he wondered about that statement. Gibbs hadn't called him that in awhile. Did . . . Did that mean?

"N-No mo-more than I-I d-des-serve," Harry stammered quietly amidst the rain and Gibbs looked pained for a second before he gently traced the cut that was on his cheek from the rock that had bruised him.

"Never say that James, never say that," The Agent told him. Harry shook his head and shivered harder as his body grew colder.

"I l-lied t-to you, Sir. I sh-should be-e j-jai-iled," Harry replied through his chattering teeth.

"You did what you had to, Son," Gibbs said. Harry closed his eyes and suddenly yelped as hands gently pulled his small body onto a lap. Harry tried to move off of Gibbs, but the man held onto him. Those once comforting hands wrapped around his torso and slowly stood up, grabbing his bag.

"Wh-what are you d-doing, Sir?" Harry asked fearfully. Was he going to throw him down a hill or at a tree? He was surprised when, instead, Gibbs clutched him to his chest and began to walk out of the forest. Harry didn't say anything, too cold as time went on. He was feeling slightly dizzy and lightheaded now that he thought about it, but he couldn't black out. He needed to know where he was in case Gibbs left him somewhere in revenge.

Jethro had had the thought of looking in the forest, remembering his many warnings to the boy not to wander in there alone. As he'd walked, he thought of only finding the stubborn child kicking a tree angrily. Instead, he found James curled up in a ball, looking almost invisible.

As they talked, Jethro felt anger. Anger at himself for having let James think those thoughts. God, it didn't matter if James was the freaking Mother of all murderers. He should remember how he felt when he'd agreed to Adopt James. Who cared if he was mentally an adult? Emotionally and physically, he was 10 years old and Jethro had majorly ruined everything between them with his actions.

"God, baby boy," Jethro murmured as he carried his Son - his little boy - back to the house. He carried James like he had years ago when the boy would fall asleep on their way home from the park. He felt the shivering from the soaked child and couldn't escape the guilt wallowing up inside him like a monster. He'd done this. He had broken any confidence that the little boy had. Ducky's words echoed in his ears and he looked down at James, smiling sadly as he saw the child asleep.

"Did you find him, Boss?" Tony asked and stopped as he found his Boss sitting an unconscious James on the bed, pulling off his pants.

"He's going to be slightly ill for awhile; found him out in the rain in that forest," Jethro said with a frown as he redressed the 10-year-old in a pair of pajamas even though it was early evening. He ordered Tony to get him a towel and did his best to dry the damp black locks.

Lowering the sleeping James, he tucked him in and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. With a disgusted feel at himself, he turned to Tony.

"No matter what he lied about, he's still James Gibbs. It shouldn't matter how old he was, he still has the emotions and body of a child," Jethro finally said.

"I know, Boss . . . I just," Tony sighed. "I screwed up by yelling at James earlier and I realize that when the hell would he have had the chance. He couldn't talk properly until he was over two years old and he'd been with us for over a year already . . ."

"We forget this happened except when we assure Jamie that nothing changes. I just broke his trust in me almost beyond repair."

Tony grimaced at Jethro's words.

The only thing Jethro could do was try and assure James that he would always be his Son.

"I need to call Ducky and tell him that I'm keeping James here," Gibbs muttered and he left the room. A lot had happened this morning and he wished that damn Owl had never come.

**So Gibbs realizes his mistake and is going to fix it. Tony? He's too stubborn to fix it though he knows he's wrong. Give him some time. A lot of questions and I'm not being helpful with answers I think since they won't be fully answered until way later and I don't want to spoil anything. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four "We all have our secrets" **

Usually, when the sun glared into his eyes, James would feign sleep and wait for his father to sneak into his room and tickle him awake or drag him out of bed literally if it were a school day. This time, however, James didn't even bother feigning sleep.

He groaned as his throat stung, feeling close to the experience of being bitten by a bee. Hell, he hadn't felt this sick since he was seven and had stupidly gone into the lake with Johnny Rodriguez, a classmate, during the winter. He rolled over gingerly onto his side and winced, sneezing.

"Pray for you," Ziva answered as she entered the room with a cup of what looked like soup.

James allowed a small, tired smile to grace his lips.

"I think it's bless you, Zii," James said before he started coughing.

"One of these days," She said with a mock exasperated look, "I shall conquer these American idioms. Tony has still, to this day, corrected me quite cheerfully every time."

"You've been doing great with them," James assured her as he took the offered cup.

Ziva smiled at him and took a seat beside him on the bed, carting her hand through his messy hair, as he remained lying down.

"Gibbs told us about you, the little boy who wasn't," Ziva said with a soft smile. She felt sad when James stiffened, possibly expecting another negative outcome.

"You have nothing to fear, James. We all have our secrets," Ziva assured him. The newly made NCIS Agent David recalled quite a lot of lies and deceit she'd pulled on the Team and still, they had accepted her. Then there was Director Sheppard, she remembered, who had died due to her lies and deceit herself. She had been quick to inform Tony of this and watched the man visibly deflate in realization that she was right. It mattered not if he were 28 or 10; he was someone they'd all grown attached to in the years.

"Everyone has a right to hate me though. I lied for years about who I was," James told her miserably. She shook her head and lightly tapped James on the nose, something everyone on the Team had taken to doing since he was a baby.

"No, child, no one has a right and no one hates you. You are very special and they must live with this," Ziva told him, "Now, I think you should try to get up and at least come to the living room. Your birthday is coming up, no?"

James didn't say anything at first. He simply allowed her to assist him in getting out of bed. She supported him down the stairs and James stopped as he spotted the rest of the Team in the living room. He pressed himself against Ziva who smiled encouragingly and led him inside.

"Morning James," Tony greeted with a small smile, though it was strained when James flinched at his voice. Damn, all those years of caring for the kid and gaining a brotherly relationship with him had been destroyed with just a few words it seemed.

"Hey Jay," Tim said as cheerfully as the Tech could and was happy to see the shy smile from their favorite kid. He'd been upset about the news, yes, but he wasn't about to hurt the kid he'd started to see as a little brother.

James seemed hesitant and Abby was quick to get him to sit beside her and - coincidentally - Gibbs.

Jethro lightly ruffled James's hair and was relieved when James didn't flinch again like he'd done last night. He smiled at his son and addressed him, "So are you going to this Salem place?"

"You'd let me?" asked James, surprised. He thought that - perhaps - his father would be deadly set in stomping the magic out of his freak of a son even though he was assured he wouldn't earlier.

Jethro looked sad that his son was so surprised and pulled him to his side.

"Son," Jethro began and was pleased that James smiled at that, "It was foolish of my actions yesterday and no matter what, and you're always going to be Jamie Gibbs to me. Obviously you've got . . . Magic in you and all that, so obviously you'd need to go to school for it." Only James could ever get an apology like that out of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs who had the second 'b' always standing for bastard.

"Yeah, I'm going to accept Salem's invitation," James said after listening to his father's response. He offered a small smile and was relieved that the group around him looked at him encouragingly instead of scornfully.

Yesterday had really hurt him and his confidence in the Team, they noticed. Growing up, James had always been sensitive to their feelings about them and each had given him their own heart-to-heart at one point of another.

"The only thing is," Tim piped up and getting everyone's attention, "You can't use your mental age to get out of us treating you like the 10-year-old you are, Jay."

James stared at him before he burst out laughing and he nodded. It hadn't really been funny, but to him he was just relieved that nothing would change between them.

What followed next would be the hardest part.

"Can you tell us about your life before us?" Ziva asked.

James nodded. He owed them that much and he took a deep breath, deciding to begin at the beginning.

"I was born July 31, 1980 to Lily and James Potter. My full name was Harry James Potter back then and my mum and dad were murdered when I was 15 months old . . ." James began to tell them only to be stopped by his adopted father who kept an arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Murdered how? You mean to tell me the man I thought irresponsibly left his son in America was actually the boy himself?" Jethro questioned.

James looked at him with a sad smile.

The group cracked a small grin at the last question only for it to fade as James answered the first.

"By a man hell-bent on killing me since I was born thanks to a Prophecy created that said I'd be his downfall." That was the best way to explain all this to Muggles.

The Team remained quiet as he explained his life.

"I was sent to my Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley via a doorstep and letter." Jethro grumbled about the possibilities of a baby getting a cold, making Jamie smile. "Eventually, I ended up sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs," James jumped, startled, when his father growled about that.

There was anger at the Dursleys and loud shouts of outrage at the conditions to which he grew up in, such as chores and Harry Hunting. James could see that Jethro realized how much the Dursleys affected him; all those random winces and James's continuous low self-esteem were now answered for.

When he reached his first year of Hogwarts, he found himself explaining a few things to them.

Jethro was quite pale through nearly all seven years of his school life; eventually resorting to keeping James on his lap during the entire time he talked.

James talked about the key points, not going into as much detail about certain things and doing his best to get through everyone's deaths. James's throat was killing him from all this talking but he continued nevertheless.

Once he'd started, he found he wasn't able to stop until he go to the day he went missing in the Wizarding World.

"I woke up unable to move in the Hospital and hearing dad and Tony," James said, "I was inclined to immediately tell them, but as you could see that year I wasn't able to talk. My first word came a few months later after all. By then, I didn't want to leave. When Draco had popped up the first time, I suddenly had wanted to remain with dad. I didn't want to go. Draco had been reading my thoughts that day and lied for me."

"Did he ever tell your girlfriend and friends the truth?" Jimmy asked curiously.

James shrugged his shoulders, not sure if Draco had or not.

Draco sent him a birthday gift every year, but hardly any of it was ever the man's style except for one thing each year. The first had been that action figure his first birthday and each year would be four items but only one seemed like a plausible gift from Malfoy. James remembered that none of the gifts really went together and three of them usually were more for his childhood than to mock him like Draco tended to do.

Every Christmas, though, he'd receive a charm to go with the bracelet band that had been given to him his first Christmas with Gibbs. There were quite a lot of them and thankfully small so that he still had room on his band for a few more.

The room was quiet, each thinking about the past, before Jethro shifted around and stood up, actually keeping James in his arms for once. James wrapped his arms around his father's neck to hold on as he was held, relishing in the feeling.

"So we need to send this Owl a reply, right?" Jethro asked as he lowered James onto the couch next to Abby and gathering a spiral with a pen. He rejoined them at the couch and handed his son the supplies, the boy thanked him and scratched an acceptance letter.

After he whistled for the Owl - who'd so bravely waited out of sight since yesterday - he tied the folded letter to the talon and watched it fly off out the open window.

Now all they had to do was wait . . .

**They're coming to terms with it but not all the way. Hopefully things will get better for dear ole Harry! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the next one should be up tomorrow or the next day. Working on the prequel in the meantime. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five "Disguises and Dads"**

The next few days had been long and strained between Tony and James. The yells from the NCIS Agent had really put a damper on the friendship between the two and James had taken to avoiding the man he'd constantly pranked as a kid. Instead, he found himself chattering more to the other members of his father's Team than he had ever before.

Ziva was interested in what kind of force Magical Beings had and James explained to her what Aurors were, to her delight. Of course, the Agent had been intrigued by the Department of Mysteries and what he could tell her of the Avada Kedavra Curse, not that she wanted him to use it of course.

Tim was devastated that technology couldn't work with Magic, but it rather explained how Tim's technology constantly got destroyed near Harry. He did like hearing about the Ministry though.

Ducky and Jimmy preferred hearing all about Healers and Magical ailments.

Abby was Abby and quite interested in his former ("who'd want to have a baby as a boyfriend," James told her) girlfriend, Ginny Weasley.

"Ginny was... Amazing," James told her sadly, "I loved her so much and when I was in war with Voldemort, I couldn't see her all the time. I was afraid that I'd never see her again. When I became Jamie, I completely forced myself not to think of everyone. That way I wouldn't worry. They were better off without me anyways."

"Oh Jamie," Abby gushed as she wrapped her arms tightly around the young boy.

Gibbs and his son were slowly rebuilding their old relationship, Jethro more inclined to fix it and Jamie relieved he wasn't going to be pushed away from him now that the truth was out. James remembered a time when he was with his father when the phone rang.

"I'll get it," James volunteered as both of them were home alone that night.

Jethro nodded absently and pulled out a notepad to look over a case while his son got up.

James didn't bother looking at the caller ID and just answered, "Gibbs residence, James speaking."

"_Well hey sonny boy_," An all too familiar voice came and James immediately recognized it as belonging to one Jackson Gibbs, his adopted grandfather.

"Grandpa!" James said happily, "Why are you calling?"

"_Just wanted to wish my only grandson a Happy Birthday,_" The cheerful elderly voice came.

James grinned into the phone and chattered with Jackson a little longer before relinquishing the phone to his father at Jackson's request.

"_So did my grandson get his famous letter?_" Jackson asked, taking Jethro by surprise.

"You knew my son was a Wizard?" Jethro inquired with incredulous disbelief in his tone. His father snorted as James luckily didn't hear Jethro talking.

"_Leroy, do you think me an idiot? I had quite a few customers over the years and could tell a mile away what Jamie was_," The grandfather reprimanded lightly. "_Now, I may be what they call a Muggle – non-Magical folk - but I know quite a handful of things about their World that would be useful for young Jamie to know. All I have to tell you is someone sent me a message informing me that I should send my grandson a box of colored contacts and hair dye for his birthday and I'm rather curious as to why_."

Jethro glanced at James who was laughing as he watched an old episode of Tom and Jerry on the television, lying on his stomach on the couch. Jethro smiled, remembering that was Jamie's particular favorite way of sleeping when he was a toddler.

Jethro didn't really know what to say, but he did ask his father to meet him here when he could so he could explain in person. That was enough for Jackson, who chattered with him about other things before bidding goodnight.

"So, how're you going to hide your past self from others at Salem?" Jethro asked his son in the living room as he leaned on the doorframe.

Jamie stiffened and realized he hadn't thought of that. He was the carbon copy of Harry Potter minus his scar. He'd been lucky not to be noticed thus far.

"I dunno," Jamie told his father sleepily and Jethro smiled at the tired 10-year-old, walking over to him and sitting beside the couch. He carted a hand through the de-aged youth's raven locks and felt Jamie lean against the hand.

Jethro knew he loved his son with everything in him and realized he never wanted to lose Jamie. He'd lost Shannon and Kelly and he wasn't planning to let his son go.

"What do you say we go out and dye your hair, style it, and get you some colored contacts before the representative comes in a day or two?" Jethro suggested to his son who realized the idea had its merits and he bit his lip, nodding.

"Abby is going to kill us; she loves my eyes," Jamie told his dad with a yawn who laughed and shut off the TV.

Jethro managed to get his exhausted and still sick son up from the couch, upstairs, helping the boy swap his clothes for his pajamas, and he waited until James lay down to tuck him in.

"I'm... Too old to be tucked in da-dddy," Jamie yawned.

"Which is why you just called me daddy," Jethro teased.

Jamie pouted at him and just allowed his father to tuck him in like he used to when he was younger. Jamie, in all fairness, had actually yawned when he meant to say dad, but all well. Sometimes it was still nice to call his dad that, or to act like a little kid. His eyes hadn't stopped itching since this morning and Jamie took the time to swiftly rub them with his fists, mumbling about evil fathers.

"Night, son. Your old grandpa is coming within the week, probably after the representative," Jethro said and Jamie nodded sleepily, not really registering his words as he yawned again and snuggled against the soft cushioned pillow. Mmm, he was warm.

"Night dad," Jamie murmured tiredly. "Love you."

"Love you too kiddo," Jethro whispered as he left the room...

The next day dawned early on both Gibbs as they got themselves ready and headed into Town.

Jethro led his son to the nearest Barber and the two decided on a trim that would style Jamie's hair just a bit, not overly so.

Next came the hair dye and Jamie was stubborn, absolutely refusing colors like red and that platinum kind, but he eventually allowed a light brown color that didn't overwhelm his entire appearance but was subtle enough.

Jamie was rather excited about the contacts, however. He'd been wearing glasses this time around, but hadn't needed them until he was seven years old. The Eye Doctor they normally saw was quite pleased to help them select contacts, though she'd been a bit disappointed they actually wanted to cover his beautiful green eyes.

"I feel different, dad," Jamie complained when Jethro took him shopping to get a few pairs of new clothes since his son was growing quite rapidly again. Now knowing about his son more, he finally understood why suddenly Jamie would grow right after his birthday. It had freaked him out a bit, seeing his son not gain a single pound until his birthday. He'd finally hit his age category in height and weight by July 31st but it always made school problematic when the Nurse constantly stated he was underweight or underdeveloped for his age. Jamie learned to walk right on his birthday, Jethro remembered.

"Well of course you feel different, you're wearing contacts," Jethro snorted as he pushed his son into the store.

Jamie rolled his eyes and went to check out the hoodies, hoping he could convince his dad to let him get a new one. His old white one was getting torn and the people at...

Oh, right. He wasn't going back to his middle school. He'd be going to Salem.

Jamie sighed and wondered how he was going to tell his friends, namely Hailey and Teddy Harrison who were both his age. He'd met the two of them briefly but they lived down the road from him and he often played with them. Strangely, he'd never met their mother and he heard their father was gone, having disappeared when Hailey was born.

Shaking his head at his thoughts, he lit up at the latest dark blue hoodie he saw, one with a lightning bolt on the front. Cool. He may not have liked his scar back then but he liked the print. Taking the hoodie, he walked over to his dad and pulled the good old puppy eyes on him that Tony had taught him when he was a toddler.

"Fine, add it to the cart, but just for that, you're trying this on," Jethro compromised with a smirk and Jamie grimaced at the babyish top but went through with the deal, glaring at his father as he tried on the light blue T-shirt that had "Daddy's boy" on the front and walked out to show his dad.

Many girls saw to his horror and Jamie groaned, blushing dark red as Jethro commented how adorable he looked and Jamie tried, he really did, but he couldn't convince Jethro not to buy it. The man told him cheekily that he needed blackmail on him in case Jamie thought he was too grown up to do what he said. Jamie knew it was his dad's way of making it up to him for all that happened over the week, but that didn't stop him from complaining loudly about it.

The two arrived at NCIS Base and James sat down in his dad's chair with a sulk. He had thankfully not been forced to wear the blackmail shirt but his dad was also taking the Mickey out of him as of late. Their relationship had become somewhat normal now and his dad was using that to his advantage.

Of course, Tony would probably be worst if they were ever back on normal terms. The man had a strong stubborn streak after all.

James sighed and settled down to wait for his dad to finish talking to the Director about taking a few days off...

**OK, so you guys aren't that far behind where I am now in terms of the story line. I'm writing Chapter Six still, getting a little stuck in all. So, updates MIGHT not be as fast as I normally am. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the next will feature shopping! Hip-hip horrayyy. I'm debating whether to include the trip to Salem in that chapter or the next. Either way, Salem is coming up. The school and magical world is based off the American ways so it won't be like Hogwarts and Diagon Alley.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six "Born and Raised"  
>Warning: A Little lovey dovey in the end. It's in italics if you'd like to skip it. Well the second section of italics. There's two flashbacks in this chapter. <strong>

"Are you sure about this?" James Gibbs asked as he glanced up at Donald Mallord, otherwise known as Ducky (or Doctor Ducky as the preteen had taken to calling him every now and then). The Medical Examiner simply smiled delightedly at the young boy and guided him around Crossings Market.

The mall-like shopping center was very much different than Diagon Alley.

James had stared at it in awe for a good long minute before moving. They looked rather similar to a shopping mall Muggles had, fancy lights and large shops on the side of the strip of pavement. The Bookshop was expansive and elaborate, to James's confusion. From his former life, Diagon Alley's Bookstore was quite small with high ceilings for books, not wide and extremely organized with a kid's area and lounges.

The Gringotts here had been a bit disastrous for James, who the Goblins had recognized when they required his Blood. Ducky had had to defend the boy from an attack and eventually they were pulled into a meeting. In the end, a settlement had been made.

All of the Potter Vaults were pulled to America and the Goblins eventually forgave Harry after he paid them and explained his actions for robbing the prestigious Bank in England. They weren't very pleased to hear of Griphook, but were willing to put it behind them. Apparently the Potter and Black name were very well known and a large part of the economy in England.

Now, Harry had a Muggle debit card that would also work in the Magical World, using Galleons instead of Dollars and the same in England, using Pounds.

"We've got your books and your Potions supplies. How about your Wand now, lad?" Ducky hummed, the purchases in his bottomless bag.

It had shocked James quite a lot back then to find out that Ducky was a Wizard, one who didn't approve of always using Magic. He used his Magic in private and that was that, preferring things the Muggle way and with science.

James smiled at him and recalled his visit with the Representative yesterday…

"_I'm here to see a Mister James Gibbs," A disembodied voice came, breaking James's dreaming state. _

_The 10-year-old, nearly 11-year-old, yawned tiredly and peered up from his spot on the couch. Last night, he'd gotten hit by the actual consequences of his rainy night in the forest and had been sneezing and coughing quite a lot. His dad had let him stay on the couch and Jamie had fallen asleep quite late. This morning, he was feeling achy, but better._

"_He's in the living room. Can I offer you anything to drink?" His dad asked as he walked to the kitchen. He didn't hear the stranger's reply but did see an unknown man walk into the living room. The man offered him a cheery smile as his father joined them with three cups of coffee. James shot his dad an amused smile. His dad had forbidden coffee around him since that incident when he was four. _

"_James, I presume?" The man questioned. At James's nod, he continued, "I am Professor Roark Avery, the residential Defense Against the Dark Arts expert though I am coincidentally the First Year Guide. You're Muggleborn, I presume?" _

_James glanced quickly at Jethro who nodded his head at his son. "Yes Sir." _

"_Splendid! Various people can explain any questions you have of our World and I will do my best to answer them as well. I received word that a Donald Mallord has knowledge of how to get into the Magical downtown to take the lad shopping for his supplies," This was said to his father and Jethro nodded, having realized his friend was Magical during their talk a few days back. Ducky had been a Healer before joining NCIS to help Muggles, as he told Jethro. The scientific man often enjoyed science more than his own magic it seemed. _

_The Representative chattered with them about the start of term and the two learned the gist of the School._

_James was now equipped with a permanent portkey that would take him to and from School. He would be at School Monday through Friday only in the mornings. It seemed America disliked the whole elite Boarding School thing, only choosing to keep the Students overnight if they had to so Students could practice their Magic at School during homework. _

_Thankfully, James did not have to suffer any "Houses" to discriminate him and his peers. Instead, he would share a Dorm with several other First Year boys like a camp only the Dorms weren't for sleeping unless they needed to stay the night His primary Professor to go to would be Professor Austin Baek, the Charms Professor. The Students had a primary Professor based off the first letter of their last names. _

_He also got his schedule, to his surprise. Apparently, First Years all had random times for their classes and each class was about two hours long. _

A day: Defense against the Dark Arts, Transfigurations and Astronomy

B day: Potions, Charms and History of Magic

C day: Flying, Elective of your choosing and a club or activity

This will be the same all throughout the first term of the year apparently. The electives consist of; Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, Magical Studies (the study of Wizards), Divination, and_ -something that excited James- a class on_ Healing_ though the First Year was just theory and small first aid practice according to Professor Baek. James selected the Healing class as his elective for C day and perused the School clubs. He didn't have to choose right away at least. _

_The Representative left soon after and his dad left to call Ducky…_

"Off with the lambs there, young man?" Ducky laughed as he pushed the boy gently into the shop and James shook his head, clearing his thoughts. James rolled his eyes and stepped inside; admiring the building he was in.

Wands were stacked quite artistically around the room and in the center resided a counter top with Wands in the case…

Woah. Wait a minute!

James's eyes widened as he found himself looking right at his old Wand!

What was it doing in America?

_"The kid was found in a pair of maroon looking robes with a weird badge, said H. Potter on it,"_words from long ago shot into his mind and he realized, with a jolt, that his Wand had been in his robes that day! Crap, his Wand was in the hands of a Shopkeeper! How the hell did he get a hold of it?

"Ah, Mister Gibbs, here for your first Wand," An elder voice spoke and James jumped, startled before nodding his head. The wise old man smiled and beckoned him to step up.

The process was similar to Ollivander's and soon James was trying out Wands. He could feel his old Wand hum behind the counter as Wand after wand denied him.

"Peculiar. Tell me, are you feeling a draw to any particular Wand?" The elderly man inquired and James, knowing he couldn't escape the truth, nodded, glancing down at the Phoenix Wand he held in his defeat against Voldemort. The Wand Maker caught his glance and pulled the Wand out slowly. When James was handed the Wand and he waved it; red and gold sparks shot out of the Wand, and the sound of a phoenix singing could be heard.

It was a slightly different reaction than before and James was enchanted by the sound of the phoenix. The Wand Maker looked quite stunned and pleased at the same time.

"Excellent!" He clapped his hands. "Very excellent! It seems you were destined to be great. That Wand belonged to the Boy-Who-Lived who has been rumored to be deceased."

"I'm sorry… The Boy-Who-Lived? James asked, playing his part of the ignorant Muggleborn.

What he got was the familiar story of his life, also receiving news that many wondered if the young man was dead. Well that was good; no one would look for him, right?

He hastily paid for his Wand and left the shop as fast as he could. He stopped; he couldn't find Ducky anywhere.

"Ah, James, my dear boy!" Ducky's familiar accent called and James turned to find his surrogate grandfather holding a cage. James blinked before gaping at the man in surprise.

"Wha—"

"Happy Birthday my dear boy!" The ME Doctor chimed.

James adorned a shocked look before smiling widely at Ducky. The cage beheld a red striped tabby cat, specks of white highlighting the cat's face and a spot over the left eye. On the cat's paws was a whole patch of white, looking like socks. The cat was turning its head at every degree it could manage, mewing cheerfully.

"Thanks Ducky!" James profusely replied, grinning brightly.

Everything else seemed dull in comparison to his new companion. After seeing all the distinguishing marks on his new pet, he decided to name the male cat, Chausse, the shorter version of the French word Chaussette.

The two finished up the rest of the shopping soon after and headed back to the NCIS Base where Ducky left to discuss with Palmer about an old tale he had in mind or training advice, whichever. James sighed and stuffed his hands in his hooded jacket, walking over to his dad's empty desk and sitting down. His dad was off in Abby's Lab no doubt and wouldn't return upstairs for a while. James tipped the chair back and closed his emerald eyes that were covered by his colored contacts.

"_Where are we going?" Harry asked Ginerva Molly Weasley. The 17-year-old winked and continued to pull his hand with her, saying nothing. _

_The Chosen one said nothing, though he was growing suspicious of his girlfriend. They eventually found a ladder, and after climbing it, were on the roof of the burrow._

"_I come here all the time, when I want to be alone," Ginny confided to him quietly, sitting on the shambles and looking over as he followed suit. Harry smiled at her. _

"_I used to go to a park when I wanted to be alone," He told her, leaning against her and feeling her soft, warm skin against his. Her long red hair curled and rested against his shoulder, tickling him slightly as she moved her head to rest under his chin. His arms went around her and he smiled._

"_I start training tomorrow," He told her. "I'll be an Auror eventually, just like I wanted. I heard you got offered to play Professional Quidditch when you graduate."_

"_I did," She confirmed. "I accepted the position though I might be traveling a lot." _

"_Sounds like a dream, to travel and see everything," He said with a smirk, stealing a kiss from her. Ginny giggled and turned her body until she was pressed against him, chest to chest. Eventually their kisses became a make out and Harry was soon on top of his girlfriend, kissing her neck slowly._

"_I love you Ginny," He whispered as he continued his mission._

"_I love you too Harry," She said breathlessly, reaching up and tugging on his trouser buttons…_

"Oiiiiii! Jamie!"

CRASH!

"Damnit Tony!" James cursed as he nursed his poor head, having snapped awake and fallen out of his chair when Tony called him. By Merlin that hurt like nobody's business.

He'd been remembering Ginny too! He hadn't had a dream (or memory) of her in so long, not wanting to bring in the hurt of not seeing her again. Merlin, he missed her so bad.

"Sorry kid, just thought you might be hungry," Tony said guiltily and was holding a bag in his hands. The grease was visible on the bottom but James recognized the McDonalds bag anywhere. He sighed and just offered his hand to Tony.

"Truce DiNozzo?" He asked, more than one meaning behind it. Tony grinned at him and took the hand, repeating his words. The man and boy sat at Gibbs's desk, chowing down on chicken sandwiches and other unhealthy foods.

"I really didn't mean to call you… That word before. I was just being an idiot," Tony admitted after awhile.

"It's no problem Tony. It's not like I haven't been called that before," He assured his father's Coworker.

Tony frowned and would have asked who had said it to him before when the elevator pinged and Gibbs walked in. He closed his mouth and decided to question his Boss's son later. At least for now he was forgiven and they could try to get back to normal…

**Salem is up next chapter! I hope everyone enjoys it and this chapter as well. Poor James, getting his dream interupted by Tony. This cracks me up, but when I type muggleborn into my word or in the Doc, it tries to correct it to smuggler. I'm quite amused by that. **

**Thanks to my amazing beta for always editing the minute I send it to her! She really is quite amazing with the timing. Writing Chapter Seven as we speak. Review if you have questions and I'll do my best to answer.**

**Also, Teddy Harrison is a bit of Dramatic Irony. We may all know who he is, but James obviously doesn't realize it.  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven "Salem and Teddy"**

"James! Wake up before I send for Tony!" Jethro called and he smiled as his 11-year-old son shot out of bed, disorientated and alarmed. He laughed and helped James out of bed, ruffling the brown-haired locks before walking out of the room to finish cooking breakfast.

His father was in the living room, watching the morning news with a mug of coffee as he awaited his grandson to come downstairs. The elderly man had arrived two nights ago and had decided to stay until today to see his grandson off to Salem. It seemed Jackson had had a run in a few years back with a few wizards looking for a Harry Potter and he'd told them he knew nothing of a man by that name.

Having dug his nose where it didn't belong, Jackson had discovered that Harry Potter was a wizard, though he hadn't the foggiest that this bloke had actually been Jamie Gibbs, his five-year-old grandson at the time. He'd taken the news surprisingly well, though he expressed his disappointment to James for now having told him sooner!

"That boy is not a morning person," Jackson snickered to Jethro who nodded, hearing the muffled curses and bangs as James raced to get ready for his first day of school. Soon the brown-haired preteen was hopping down the stairs, one foot still bare and the other clad only in a green sock. He almost reached the landing while stuffing his other foot in the other sock, making exasperated noises. However, his foot slipped on the step and he would have fallen to the wooden floor if Jethro hadn't seen and shot over to catch him before it could all happen.

"No more jumping down stairs for you," Jethro ordered as he righted his son and stood him up on the floor. James nodded grumpily and sat on the floor to finish putting his shoes on, adjusting his jacket, and getting back up. Jackson joined them at the table for breakfast and soon James stood in front of his grandfather and father. His cat was asleep upstairs and wouldn't join him at school until James was comfortable with the building.

"See you in the afternoon?" James asked hesitantly.

"See you then," Jethro confirmed, ruffling his son's hair again and giving him a brief hug. James looked at his grandfather's cheery smile before he nodded to himself and said the keyword, activating his portkey and he was gone in a flash…

James reappeared in front of a pair of iron gates and he stumbled to gain his bearings. Someone helped him and he looked up to thank him or her only to yelp in shock.

"Teddy!"

"One in the same!" Teddy Harrison said cheerily, "How've you been Jaybird?"

"What… You're…?" James said faintly.

"You betcha I'm a Wizard," Teddy laughed. "Hailey is at home, sulking. We wanted to tell you, but mum forbid us. Anyways, we got to get going towards the hall Jay. What've you got?" Wordlessly James handed over his schedule and walked forward, listening to his best friend's cheers as he discovered their nearly similar schedule. Their last names –Harrison and Gibbs—helped them it seemed. The next day, however, seemed entirely random since Teddy had no classes with him that day. His friend had also taken Care of Magical Creatures for his elective.

Hailey was younger than the both of them, so she wouldn't be joining Salem until next year. She was one year younger than Teddy, though closer in age to James who was in the middle of the two. Her birthday was apparently September 7th while Teddy's was roughly April 5th. James had kept his original birth date, being born July 31st and only the years having changed for him.

Professor Baek was the one to greet them and James was rather reminded of a bird. His last name certainly suited him. His narrowed brown eyes looked quite peculiar in contrast to his freckled face and thin lips. He had short blond hair that looked similar to a nest.

"Right, First years, down the right hall please!" the odd professor called sternly. James grimaced and followed his friends as they headed down the correct hall that Professor Baek was calling out.

Professor Avery was much the same as he was when James was introduced to him. His bubbly smile was a large contrast to his dark eyes and spiked hair. He wore casual navy robes over a black button up shirt and slacks, making him appear like a ruffled college boy actually.

"Hello children!" he said quite happily. "Settle down, settle down. Now, today is a sort of… introductory lesson for the first half of class. The other half will be a game of sorts." James looked confused, unsure of how to react since most of his classes at Hogwarts were certainly not games and introductions for the first day.

James discovered that, yes; most of his classes at Salem were different. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, they were to toss a ball and whoever caught it had to introduce themselves. James found that there were roughly ten kids in his first class. Those ten would be in his other classes for "A" day apparently.

The game started with Anelli Melissa who had a slightly pink heart-shaped face and a delicate figure. She was the daughter to the current American Minister of Magic as well and quite stuck up, her posh attitude an indication.

After Anelli nearly dislodged herself with the ball, Tristan Krouch caught it with his large hands. He had a gangly body that could only result in awkwardness as he grinned sheepishly, having nearly smacked James beside him. He was a muggleborn who loved sports, preferably basketball and baseball. He threw the ball and Teddy Harrison caught it easily, winking at James who remembered their many games of catch.

"Teddy Harrison, pureblood extraordinaire and a metamorphagus!" the 11-year-old said gleefully and James's eyes widened as Teddy's hair turned to bright blue, a contrast to his normal black hair he had. Teddy…

_"His name is Ted Lupin, though we've decided to call him Teddy."_

_"He's a metamorphagus, just like his mum... Changed his hair to blue the other day! It's his favorite hair color I think."  
><em>

Holy… Teddy Harrison… He was Teddy Lupin. James decided to talk to the boy later and find out how the hell he ended up in America. He was interrupted as Teddy tossed the ball to him.

"James Gibbs, muggleborn and my dad is the muggle equivalent to an Auror," James said before he tossed the ball to a girl by the name of Jessica Avigne. He wondered if Hailey's family had adopted Teddy…

James didn't pay much attention to the other kids and instead anticipated lunchtime, where they'd eat and hear any announcements before leaving for the day. Professor Argon was a petite teacher who took delight in introducing what they'd be able to do in a few years in Transfigurations. She also had them describe an animal they liked and why, giving them secretive smiles and refusing to answer why she asked. Astronomy was a different class, being in a magically charmed room that displayed the night sky. This was so they could learn without worry of rain or being too tired to concentrate.

Finally, lunch rolled around and Harry dragged Teddy over to an empty table, subtly casting Muffliato, glaring at Teddy who realized why his friend was suddenly tense. The two had been best friends since James met Teddy at the age of four, the boy having just moved into James's neighborhood and Hailey only three years old. While he had never met his friend's mother, Teddy had gotten to meet everyone from the protective NCIS team. The two boys had gone through quite a lot of boyish adventure and it was hard to know that James had actually been spending all this time with his godson, never knowing until now.

"Hey James," Teddy said hesitantly, "you know you're quite scary when you're like this."

"You're Teddy Lupin and you never told me. You know who I am, don't you?" he accused, years of fearing that he'd be found welling up inside him and threatening to bubble over.

"Well, I grew up with you, idiot," Teddy said irritably, "I didn't even know you were my long-lost godfather until my mom told me when I was five."

"Who is your mom, and who is Hailey?" James asked after a second, frowning at the other boy.

"Ginny Weasley, though she changed out names to Harrison when we moved here. I was told some guy named Malfoy spoke to mom when I was a year old and she adopted me from my grandmom. Hailey, I'm told, is her daughter. She was planning to tell you she was pregnant, but you disappeared around the time she found out.

She decided to move to America when she discovered where you were from Malfoy. Apparently, she wanted to be close to you, but Malfoy stopped her from actually telling you who she was. Therefore, she avoided you. She never told Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron why she really was in America. They think you're dead, but she didn't want to tell them." Teddy looked at his friend sympathetically as James took the news in. He frowned, thinking about the grief he must have put his old friends through. James was stunned that his girlfriend was pregnant when he was taken. If he had known, he would have let Draco take him back. God, he'd abandoned his only child, leaving Ginny husbandless.

"You should tell them," Teddy suggested and James shook his head immediately, though he desired to do so greatly. He missed everything about his girlfriend, though now he could never have her. He was a child, around the same age as their daughter. He couldn't be her boyfriend when his body was a child still.

"I can't; at least, I can't right now. I have a family with my dad and his team. I don't want to give it up." James looked away from Teddy as he spoke, reluctant. Teddy didn't say anything right away and he didn't get the chance. Their principal stood up and walked to the podium.

The "headmaster" was quite the looker. Black hair was smoothed neatly down and blue eyes pierced the halls, his wide chesire smile accompanying his welcoming expression. He spread his long tan arms out in a sweeping gesture.

"Welcome, and to old students, Welcome back to Salem! I hope you all have enjoyed your restful, first day classes. Remember tomorrow is 'B' day classes and 'C' day will be the next day. For those who have not selected a club activity as of yet, please remember to see your primary professor before you leave tomorrow. That is all and enjoy the rest of your day," the man said with a benevolent smile and he stepped down. There was a flurry of activity as student stood up to leave, chattering to their companions. James cancelled his spell and the two friends joined the crowd, glancing at each other before portkeying away silently. James would probably meet Teddy at the park tonight if he could. That was usually how they dealt with these situations.

**I was sad! Not a lot of people reviewed last chapter and that was my longest one yet! Just proves that length matters not, but I'd have appreciated more reviews than that. I've been getting so many and that last chapter was like "Poof" mehh. I take it you lot didn't like Chapter Six?**

**Hopefully this chapter kept you on your toes. Ginny might appear soon. Anyone want to wager a guess as to when the wizarding world discovers James Gibbs? The mayhem. Also a new option voting...**

**Should I go through as much of Harry's first year as I can and show him meeting people, etc. Or do you want to skip right to the action again? I might not update tomorrow, fixing my computer and whatnot. Though hurry and make a vote before I start writing Chapter Eight!**

**Edit: I forgot that Ginny is NOT married to Harry right now, so it's Weasley. Thankyou Sakura Lisel for pointing that out! Also, mist shadow what would I do without you? I can't believe an entire scene (From Harry going to class to finding out about Teddy) went missing. I believe exchanging the docs on two different formats must have caused it. My bad guys.  
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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight "Wariness and Weariness"

**Note: Sorry for the long delay. Got promoted at work, computer fried itself for some reason, and I was about to lose my muse on this story. Don't know why.**

Nearly two months had passed since James Gibbs had started his schooling at Salem Institution of Magic, though nearly everything had changed within that time frame. The sun rose on the same house and the same boy woke up to activate his portkey for school. Another boy his age lived down the street –just three houses down. Both boys, extremely close, had a bit of a falling out the night after James's first day at school.

Teddy Harrison was actually Harry Potter's godson, a well kept secret until recently. The two boys had met up at the park that night after school and talked it out…

His dad was on a case and his grandfather had fallen asleep after cooking dinner for James, leaving the boy free. He was relieved to be alone and he spent that time leaving for the park to await Teddy.

Harry had a family, one that he'd left behind for toddler memories and a child's life. He perched himself on the swing and shivered as he thought. Ginny Weasley had had his child when he himself was de-aged. He'd abandoned his daughter and left Ginny without a man to help raise their baby girl.

_It was at this time that the years of pent up homesickness welled up inside him and he struggled to force his emotions back. He hadn't thought back to that night he'd left, seeing it as a chance to change. Now that he did think back, he wished he hadn't._

_Who had been those men? What was the contraption that had knocked him out and left him to wake up in a crib, his fate forever changed for a decade? _

"_Jamie!" Teddy called, disrupting his chain of thoughts. James gave Teddy a slight wave in acknowledgement before looking away. The two boys were quiet as Teddy took the other swing beside him. The wind ruffled the two silently, as if pleading for speech. _

"_Mom misses you," Teddy said quietly. "She also refuses to say anything to Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, about why she's in America…"_

"_She doesn't have to be here," James muttered. Ginny ruined everything. Her damn beautiful red hair and those stunning brown eyes... Those soft lips… Aghhh! James turned abruptly to Teddy. "I never wanted this, you know. I was de-aged against my will and I found Gibbs who took me in and raised me. I never would have let this happen if I'd known Ginny had a child." _

_Teddy nodded, "I know. You can always go see her…"_

_Harry immediately shook his head, "I can't. I just can't Teddy. It's not a good idea for me to even be here anymore." _

"_What do you mean!"_

"_I can't be around you Teddy. It's dangerous." _

Teddy had pleaded with Harry for hours, but his former best friend steadfastly ignored him as if he were that bully from primary school who'd tried to beat up Aldan Chaos. James's grandfather returned to Stillwater and Jethro became busy with cases, so James found himself constantly alone.

"I'm home," James said to himself as he port keyed back from school into the living room. He looked around and sighed before heading to the kitchen for a bite to eat. Digging through the cabinets, he withdrew a package of Oreos and shrugged before popping one in his mouth, chewing as he grabbed a soda and headed upstairs to do his homework.

James had succeeded for the most part in ignoring his godson, choosing to run away from his past. He wondered if his dad would shoot for moving. Nah, Gibbs loved this house too much.

Ring. Riiing.

Out of habit, James picked up his phone from the hallway table and saw the caller was DiNozzo who called.

"What's up Tony?" James asked in a bored manner.

"Ah, I'm on my way to pick you up for the day. It seems there's a bit of a problem and your dad is… yeah."

"Paranoid that the enemy will kidnap me and use me as bait?" James asked, rolling his eyes. This happened all his years growing up with Gibbs. The man would go on a case and if it was personal, he'd make sure James was by his side as often as possible. Well at least he'd get to see his father.

"Just about. Be ready in twenty, got it?"

"Got it," sighed James and he glanced at his homework before shoving it back into his backpack and grabbing his newest electronic games that Gibbs and Jackson spoiled him with as often as holidays allowed.

The doorbell chimed cheerfully and James shook his head before he opened the door, not bothering to look as he figured it would be Tony teasing him for thinking he'd take that long.

"Unless you made that call outside my house, DiNo— Who the ruddy hell are you?" This guy was definitely NOT Anthony DiNozzo or anyone from the team.

"Your nightmare," the stranger said, smirking and James immediately reached for his wand to defend himself when the man struck out and hit him in the forehead. James fell to the ground, feeling dizzy and overwhelmingly out of control.

"N…o…" James tried to say before darkness descended and swallowed its victim up like a blanket.

Anthony DiNozzo was happy to pull up in the Gibbs driveway ten minutes after he'd called the kid. Now he could tease the boy about not being ready in time. Whistling, Tony walked up the steps and fished out his keys when something caught his eye.

The front door stood ajar.

Tony frowned, alarm bells ringing off in his head. It wasn't like James to leave the front door of all things open… Unless… Shit! Tony threw open the door and his eyes scanned the immediate area.

"James!" Tony yelled as he thundered up the stairs, his gun drawn as he pointed it warily in various directions. He nearly dropped the gun when he saw the backpack beside the phone and a note on top of it. Tony walked over to it and his eyes widened as he read the note.

"Shit, I've got to get back to Gibbs," Tony cursed and he turned to immediately set off back towards his car to get back up and find his boss's son.

He never got the chance.

**It's short and I cut to the action, so I hope it was okay. I lost a lot of the plot because my computer crashed, so I've been trying to get everything back on track. Not going to be updating every single day like I used to, working and all that right now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Did Tony get taken too? Who are these guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine "A different view"**

**Note: I'm really, really, really sorry for leaving that cliffhanger and not even updating for like months! I promise to do better in the future. I am college for Criminal Justice and a Police Explorer, so busy, busy, busy! Also, on a note I think I accidentally mixed up Hailey too much. In one chapter James knew she was Teddy's sister but in another he asked who she was, so I'll eventually go back and fix it but for the most part Hailey was supposed to be two years younger than Teddy and Harry grew up with her partially. **

Teddy had always thought his life situation was extremely rubbish.

At the tender, innocent –well, somewhat innocent—age of five years old, he'd been told his best friend in the whole wide world was his godfather, the man he'd looked up to even though he'd disappeared one day when he was one.

Everything hadn't truly hit him until his godfather had been declared deceased a few years later in the magical world, around the same time that James Gibbs had decided he wanted to be an NCIS agent like his 'father'. Lying to Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione was always heart wrenchingly cruel, Teddy decided.

The 11-year-old kicked his soccer ball at one of the bushes before grudgingly making his way up the concrete drive way and unlocking the door with his key.

"Tough day?" his neighbor, Keith Rhymer, called out from where he was watering and trimming the bushes. Mr. Rhymer of number nine on Baldwin street was quite the ever busybody, having scolded James and Teddy numerous times for their overly eager pranks and nonstop games of football and soccer, some of which have ended up in his yard and were confiscated until Jethro retrieved them.

"No sir," Teddy said politely. "Just a long day of school."

"Well, you tell young Jamie to have his dad stop by to get that darn ball he left in my yard again," Mr. Rhymer huffed and Teddy nodded an affirmative though it only made him feel worst as he slammed the front door shut.

Jamie, or Harry as his real name was, had decided to ignore him and Teddy didn't know how he felt, except he knew without a doubt he was definitely miserable without his best friend.

_"I never wanted this, you know. I was de-aged against my will and I found Gibbs who took me in and raised me. I never would have let this happen if I'd known Ginny had a child."_

Why should that freakin matter? Teddy growled to himself and flopped down face first into his bed, ignoring his mum's laughter as she was speaking to his little sister. Hailey was only nine and she had been told her dad had passed away before she was born, his death unknown. Teddy and Ginny kept it a secret from her, making Teddy feel unbelievably guilty knowing she grew up with her father, yet never knew.

It was all so sick and twisted.

He looked out of his window to see James' house across the street, his bedroom window facing the street. Tony's car was parked out in front and Jethro's car was strangely missing. Usually he was there if Tony's car was there as well. Nothing about the house was very out of the ordinary with the soccer ball and bike splattered in the front yard, bushes and tree trimmed, lights off and front door open.

Wait.

Teddy sat up straight and wondered why the front door was open. Sure Jethro had left it unlocked, but it was never left _opened_ before!

He reached for his walkie talkie to call for James automatically and his finger hit the button. His mum had given him and James walkie talkies for his tenth birthday and the two boys used it constantly.

"James?" Teddy called hesitantly. There was no answer, like every time since James had decided to avoid him. The 11-year-old sprang off his bed and ran out of the house, ignoring his mother's panicked calls as she heard him running as if on fire.

There was a sign of a struggle when the boy got there and it terrified Teddy that something could have happened to his best friend. Wand clutched in his hand shakily, he entered the foyer and looked around for a clue as to where James was.

There was a noise behind him and the boy swung around, a spell he'd learned on the tip of his lips when he saw it was Jethro. The man looked worriedly at him and Teddy put his wand away, immediately trying to tell the man what had happened.

"Woah kid, slow down there Teddy. Now tell me what happened?" Jethro soothed.

"James! I don't know, the front door was open and he's gone!" Teddy choked out. Jethro looked blank, a sign meaning he was growing concerned and angry at what had taken place. Jethro calmed Teddy down and sent him home to his mother before he called Ziva and Tim, trying to call Tony.

The phone rang upstairs. Frowning, Jethro followed the noise of Tony's ringtone and found himself in front of James' closet in his room. He immediately opened it and found his agent bleeding in the head and unconscious, but thankfully alive.

Calling 9-1-1 almost immediately, he worked on waking Tony up until the others arrived.

"DiNozzo!" barked Gibbs and he was relieved to see Tony groggily coming to. Tony slurred his words slightly, showing his concussion, but he was able to tell Gibbs the gist of what had taken place. Someone had kidnapped James when the boy had answered the door, thinking it to be Tony. No doubt his agent was feeling intense guilt and Gibbs wanted to blame Tony, but he didn't. He had to find his baby boy from whoever took him and it had to be Oliver Willis, but something in his gut told him that it was something much worst, that something bad was about to happen.

Gibbs needed to find James before that gut feeling became true.

**Author's Note: Yeah please don't kill me! I'll update PP and Candles too within next week or so. I have competition this weekend so my workload might finally slow down. Yes I know I'm still leaving you in a cliffhanger, but I promise you I'll work as fast as I can to get the next chapter done! Please please review to let me know I should keep going and that my reviewers didn't abandon me lol.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Who You Are**

**Chapter Ten "Welcome Harry"**

**Note: Okay so I really apologize! The real note is at the bottom of this chapter so please, please read it.**

"I'm sorry Mione, I thought Derek would be gentle about it!" the voice sounded vaguely familiar, mused James, as he slowly came to awareness. His head hurt even without moving, but otherwise James felt quite fine. He held still, trying to figure out who his kidnappers were.

"Ronald Weasley!" the lectured name made James freeze up, not daring to move an inch. No. No, no, NO! It couldn't be!

"OW! Blimey 'Mione I'm not 17 anymore, stop hitting your poor ole husband."

"Poor ole husband my arse, you should have known Derek wouldn't have any experience with muggles! For Merlin's sake, the most experience he's had with muggles was old movies!"

The voices were getting louder and James couldn't stop the moan of pain he got from his splitting headache, effectively shutting up the two bickering couple that had once been part of the Golden Trio, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

"Harry, take it easy mate," Ron's worried voice sharpened into focus as someone held a potion flask to his lips and he hesitated before swallowing the contents. He finally opened his eyes slowly, looking from the aged features of one friend to the next.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione gushed as she threw herself at James only to be pried off by Ron as James was feeling the familiar suffocating hug.

"You know," croaked James, "you two just kidnapped me from my home. You can be charged for that."

"Nonsense mate, Captain Auror Stephens gave the orders to rescue you. Nice American accent there," chuckled Ron though Hermione had the familiar worrying look via biting her lip.

"Not in the muggle world," snapped James, "you bloody kidnapped me from my father you know."

"Woah, your father?" Ron asked in surprise. "Blimey Harry, you hit your head on something. You know your folks have been de—"

"Shut up! I meant my father, Jethro Gibbs!" James growled and the two stopped and looked at him in silence. James just wanted to go back home and sleep in his dad's bed until his dad returned to work, but his two former friends were most likely on orders to keep him here, if the Captain Auror was the one giving the orders as they had stated.

"Let. Me. Go!" James commanded anyways.

"No can do Harry," Ron tried. "Be reasonabl—"

"Reasonable?" James asked with an arched eyebrow. "If you hadn't noticed I'm 11-years-old almost 12 and you just kidnapped me from my father. Besides, my name is James Gibbs now."

"James Gibbs?" repeated Ron in surprise. He vaguely remembered his adopted nephew mentioning his best friend's name and the name clicked in his head. "You were Teddy's childhood friend?" The mention of Teddy seemed to stop James in his tracks and Ron scowled. His little sister had been near Harry all this time and had kept it from him!

James didn't like this situation at all. How did they even find him? What was his dad thinking now that his son had been taken? What about Tony who'd been coming to get him. He scooted closer to the wall, away from the two. Hermione looked hurt while Ron gave James an annoyed look.

"Come on Harry, don't be an idiot," Ron said anyways. "You don't belong in the muggle world. We've been looking for you for years!"

"Because I didn't want to be found," James shot back. "Think about the fact it's been 11 years since you've last seen me!"

"Why didn't you at least contact us Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Because you'd drag me back!" James replied, looking at Hermione. "Why would you do this to me? I have a family now. I don't want to come back to the wizarding world." Emerald eyes shone with his own hurt portrayed.

Hermione looked at Harry with surprise on her face, having been genuinely taken aback by the boy's outburst. Ron, on the other hand, was beet red in the face. Without another word the two turned away and left James trapped in the room. James pulled his knees to his face and hid against them, shaking. He wasn't a little kid anymore, but damn it all what was he going to do to get out of this? After so many years of his magic being repressed he wasn't the Harry Potter that they knew, though he had all of his memories and persona from them. Ron and Hermione, merlin he'd missed them so much, but he had let go of his old life in favor of one with his father.

Determined to find a way out of this, he pulled his wand out of his pocket (happy to see that he was still acquainted with his wand and not have it taken from him upon capture) and set forth towards the door…

**Author's Note: It's short because this was the last written page I had on this chapter and I have lost all muse about this sequel piece. I'm really sorry guys, but I work over 30 hours a week with a full time life in college and I still continue my police training and am helping a friend build his website. So please forgive me, but I'm taking a hiatus and this story is now abandoned for quite a while longer. If you wish to take up this story and continue or rewrite it, just owl me and I'll give you some of the details I left out you want to know or whatever works. I didn't want to leave you hanging on a cliffhanger, so thank goodness I already had this chapter mostly rewritten. I think after that ending Tony's POV was next or something.**


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